In a first, Army’s Remount Veterinary Corps commissions 4 women officers, posted at forward areas

By Anish Kumar  |  First Published Sep 2, 2024, 9:13 AM IST

The Corps has been also involved in breeding of specialist horses for equestrian sports. It has been the backbone for animal based logistics and operational support to combat teams, in most inaccessible areas and difficult terrain in inclement weather conditions. 


In a first, four women officers have been commissioned into the Indian Army’s Meerut-based Remount veterinary Corps (RVC), a top defence official said.  These women officers were inducted into the RVC in May 2024. “They have been posted at some forward areas too,” he said.  The officers and the soldiers from the Remount veterinary Corps have been serving at grassroots level in the war-ravaged nations, insurgency hit areas across the country. 

“We continue to invest in breeding, training and deploying, human’s best friend.” Talking about the indigenous breeds of dogs, the official said: “Besides German Shepherds, Belgian Malinois and Labradors, the Corps has inducted local breeds like Mudhol hound, Chippiparai, Rajapalayam and also trying out Rampur Hounds.”

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“These dogs are trained for a variety of roles like combat, guard, tracker, infantry patrol, explosive detection, mine detection, narcotics detection, avalanche rescue operations and search and rescue operation.” 

Another official added there is also significant technology absorption to augment military dogs’ efficacy during operations & training. It must be noted that the RVC is the source of specialised dogs, horses and mules to be used in Army, Navy, Air Force, para military forces, Police and CISF.  The Corps has also been working on a project to train the bird of prey to check the increasing threat of drones. 

The Corps has been also involved in breeding of specialist horses for equestrian sports. It has been the backbone for animal based logistics and operational support to combat teams, in most inaccessible areas and difficult terrain in inclement weather conditions. 

Talking about the connectivity in far-flung mountainous areas, the official said: “The last mile connectivity in mountainous terrain is gradually transitioning from Animal Transport to trucks, All Terrain and Rugged Terrain Vehicles. Military Dogs are an indispensable part of war fighting both in Counter Insurgency/ Counter Terrorism environment and Conventional operations.”

The Remount & Veterinary Corps (RVC) was raised in the year December 1779 in Bengal as the Stud Department and has been playing a crucial role in since its raising.

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